Prom Dress FliesFebruary 28, 2011 we sent out a newsletter explaining the virtues of Scott
Howell's Prom Dress Series of flies. We thought we had plenty in stock to
fill the demand. Well, we under estimated the situation. Turns out we sold
all we had, and wound up with a massive back orders, until everything
reached critical mass and we had to shut down the shopping cart on those
products. Still people tried to order more. We now have a good supply of
Prom Dress flies again in all colors and can finally meet the demand (we
hope). You
can order your Prom Dress Flies Now!

TMC
105 Hooks
I really am into the preservation of wild steelhead stocks, especially
in my home water, the Sandy River. Years ago it was noted by several
local anglers that large Alaskabou type flies were very productive for
our local steelhead. These flies were tied on large (1/0 - 4/0) looped
eye salmon hooks. Alaskabou flies are easy to tie and beautiful to look at.
But, large hooks are pretty rough on smaller fish. It was traumatic to find
1/0 hook stuck through the roof of a wild steelhead's mouth and
protruding from the eye socket. Even larger fish suffered from the big
hooks. A search for a less devastating way to land fish was undertaken.
I don't remember where I first heard about tube flies, but it became
apparent that this approach offered certain advantaged in that large
flies could be

tied on tubes, but smaller hooks could be used. Over the years we became
aware that not only were smaller hooks less damaging to the fish, but
that also the smaller hooks landed more fish. Of all the tube fly hooks
I have tried, the TMC 105 made by Tiemco, seem to offer the most
advantages. They are very strong, are easy to sharpen, and are
reasonably priced.
They were originally designed for egg flies. They are very sharp right
out of the box. TMC 105 hooks feature: Straight eye, reversed bend, 2X strong,
5X short bronze.

By Popular Demand, Entry Level Classes have Been
Extended Through June !!!

We know
that steelhead are often uncooperative and unpredictable. That is
why they are such great sport fish. It takes skills to get them, and
acquiring the skills takes dedication, and a well laid out plan.
Many anglers stop half way to their goal because they weren't even
able to lay out a comprehensive plan. Now you don't have to, because
your plan has been designed by a team of anglers who have landed
hundreds of steelhead with flies in the most traditional manner. No
we're not talking about side-drifting with a slinky on the end of
your fly line, nor are we talking about harassing spawners with glo
bugs and split-shot. We are talking about swinging flies with a spey
rod for bright moving fish in the most respected fashion
possible. There is probably no more experienced steelhead fly angler
than Mark Bachmann. He is joined by the talent of Josh Linn, Travis
Johnson and Hawkeye Hawkins. You have a formidable team to help you
get to the finish line. Our plan is as simple as it is effective.
First you learn to cast precisely.
(You can only catch a fish when your fly is in the water and you can
only catch fish that you can reach.) Then you
learn how and where to find your prey. Then you learn to present
the fly properly to the prey, covering vast amounts of water in the
most efficient manner. The method is academic, show the fly to the
largest number of fish in the shortest period of time in the most
enticing manner. When you finish our curriculum, you won't have many
doubts about how it works. Winter steelhead start to mix with summer
steelhead starting in April. Because water temperatures are still
fairly cold, both races of fish are best fished with sinking tip
lines. By May summer steelhead become more prevalent, and by June
nearly all of the steelhead in our local river are the summer
variety. These fish will rise to a fly during low light conditions,
and floating line as well as sinking tip line techniques are
explored. During certain water conditions, Spring Chinooks also may
become targets.

Spey casting can be learned quite easily
with the assistance of a professional instructor. This class starts
with the most basic fundamentals so that you will have a foundation
on which to build your "Spey Casting Skill Set". Our approach allows
you to easily understand the scientific principles of how a rod and
line work together to propel your fly to the target. br> Our crash
course starts in a nice warm class room with donuts and coffee. Here
rod and line theories are discussed in detail so that before you get
to the water, you have an understanding of the principals you are
going to use. Then you will ride to the river with your instructors.
There your instructors will demonstrate the theories you have
already explored. Then you will take a rod into your own hands and
be able to practice what you have learned. You will be amazed at how
easy it is. All the major Spey Casts will be explored. Both floating
and sinking tip lines will be learned.

Time: 8 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. (Lunch is provided).
Meet at: The Fly Fishing Shop - Instructors: Josh Linn and Mark
BachmannSpey Casting Classes are offered on Thursdays so that they
can be taken consecutive with our One Day Winter Steelhead Fly
Fishing Schools, which are offered on Fridays.

Cost (8 hrs.): $150.
You will need the following equipment: Waders, boots, rain coat,
hat and polarized glasses. You may bring your own rod and reel if
you want to. Properly balanced Spey Outfits will be provided.(6) Students total.
First come, first served.
Deposits are payments in full. Deposits are non-refundable unless water/weather
conditions prohibit class. SEE CLASS POLICY

One-Day Entry Level
Steelhead Fly Fishing SchoolsThis is Steelhead Fly Fishing 101.
Take a pontoon boat ride down a Local River with: Mark Bachmann,
Travis Johnson
and Josh Linn.
These classes are scheduled on Fridays so that they can be taken
consecutively with our
Spey Casting Schools.

Steelhead fly fishing is very
practical if you know how. Being able to find fish and being able
to present the fly properly are key factors. Save
yourself five years of experimenting on your own.
We will show you how.
This school will cover a lot of water and fishing knowledge in one
day. Length of the class is 8-hours on the water. All schools
conducted on the Sandy River. Big, safe, roomy pontoon boats will
enable us to cover 12-miles of river during the class. Two students

per boat/instructor format. Learn how
to locate steelhead water and how to approach it. Emphasis will be
on giving you a foundation of skills to build on, with a high
priority given to hooking fish during the class. We want to give you
maximum advantage by having as many fish hooked during this class as
possible. Nothing teaches you more about fishing than being
where fish are being hooked and landed. Emphasis will be on spey
rod use and sinking-tip line fishing. Students should at least have
moderate casting skills. This is a fishing class.

If you need basic knowledge or a
brush-up on Spey Casting skills, we suggest signing up for a Spey Casting Schooland be
ready to use these skills to catch winter steelhead.

What you need to bring:
Bring your own waders and rain gear. Bring your own rod/reel set up
if you want to.
A variety of premium quality 2-hand rod/reel set-ups will be
available for you to use at no extra charge. Flies are supplied.
A hot lunch will be served on the river.
There will be a very short rest period after lunch. Meet at The Fly Fishing Shop at 6:30am for
half-hour orientation. Coffee and donuts will be served.

Watch an expert
guide as he fishes and discloses the secrets and proven methods that
put fish on the beach. Get a lot of hands-on help so that you too
can be productive.
Arrive back at The Fly Fishing Shop at 6:00pm.What our customers say.A report on a Steelhead School.First come, first served.
Deposits are payments in full.
Deposits are non-refundable unless water/weather conditions prohibit
class. SEE CLASS POLICY

Acquiring skills helps achieve success.
This school is for beginning and intermediate fly fishers, who want to
acquire new winter steelhead fly fishing skills in the most
efficient and cost-effective way possible. Spend the night between the
two days in our community. We know the best places to stay, and we know
the best places to eat. We will be glad to help make the arrangements.
We will be glad to show you around our home turf on the way to and from
schools. It could turn you on to your next fly fishing playground.
Save $25 by taking a Spey Casting Class followed immediately by a Winter
Steelhead School. Get twice as much for your money and save money while
you are doing it. It will be a lot of fun.
Community Links

Improve your Spey Casting techniques and learn how to deal
with the tough spots.

This class is for the angler
that wants to take his/her casting to the next level!
These are "Finishing Schools" for intermediate and accomplished Spey
casters.

Spend a day with expert
casters Josh Linn and Travis Johnson and focus on expanding the
fundamentals and mechanics of Spey rod casting.

The steps in this class will
be toward any subject you feel that you need more information or
practice in order to bring your casting up a notch or two. Whether
you need help casting a Skagit or Scandi line farther, controlling a
sink tip, or learning how to handle a mid or long belly line, let us
save you the energy, time, and frustration.

These classes are offered
during the summer and fall seasons, and each is a full 8 hour day of
learning. The first part of the day will include a classroom style
tutorial and PowerPoint presentation, after which the real nitty
gritty begins—on the water!

While on the river, the class
will have a regimented style at first and, towards the end, provide
an in-depth question and answer segment, along with hands-on
problem solving situations for real life applications.

With this open style forum, an
angler can really bring to the table what they want out of the
class, receiving the one-on-one attention that makes this class
worth the $175.00 cost (per student).

Lunch and beverages will be
provided. Bring your favorite setup and we will also have a lot of
rods for you to try.

Spey Casting Finishing School
limited to six students per class. Private lessons are also available. $50
per hour, 4 hour ($200) minimum. Please call for an appointment.

Roll, Perry Poke
and Skagit casting. This film also teaches the viewer the most common
faults to recognize and avoid and has superb bio-kinetic footage so you
and study the hand, arm and body movement of each cast. There is also
great information on casting sinking lines, saltwater spey casting and
trout fishing spey casts with single hand rods.br> Save $10 on these
instructional DVDs when purchased with a Spey Casting Class or a Winter
Steelhead Fly Fishing Class. Click this button when signing up for
either class.

For your
convenience, The Fly Fishing Shop in Welches, Oregon can now integrate
your lodging with your fly fishing school or guided trip fee when
booking with us. The
Cabins Creekside at Welches is the best place for fly fishers to
stay within our community, and is a hard bargain to pass up. We have
always wished there was a place for our customers to stay, where the
special needs of traveling anglers could be met. Well it has happened!
Long term friends, Bob and Margaret Thurman built their cabins with
special amenities like a secure room for storing gear and

drying
waders.These
cabins offer much privacy and a beautiful tiny mountain stream coursing
through their midst. And don't forget, we can make all of your
arrangements for lodging when you book one of our guided trips or
schools. Come to Welches. We're going to show you a good time!